August 21, 2013

Fazielah Williams has lived in and loved her Mother City since birth. Having lived all over the Peninsula during her childhood, she now calls the picturesque City Bowl home and likes nothing more than watching the sun set over Table Bay from the window of her apartment.

A lover of the arts and proud Cape Town fanatic, Fazielah began her writing career by spending many hours as a child conjuring fantastical stories that featured independent heroines from faraway lands who saved the Prince instead. This Capetonian princess has enjoyed stints as a magical arts PRO and TV publicist before finding her calling as a travel writer.

When not waxing lyrical about the Fairest Cape’s most loved attractions and activities and embarking on unexpected adventures, Fazielah can usually be found taking in a show at one of the City’s fabulous theatres.

That was the burning question on everyone’s lips as Cape Town’s top foodie bloggers and media wondered aloud at what was in Tsogo Sun’s MasterChef SA Mystery Box at The Southern Sun Waterfront hotel on Wednesday 14 August, 2013.

Each week, Tsogo Sun's exciting Mystery Box promotion gives diners the opportunity to experience the flavours, textures, ingredients and flair as seen on local TV show, MasterChef SA. A mystery box is on display at the entrances to selected Tsogo Sun hotel restaurants every Monday to Friday until 11 September, 2013 and its ingredients change on a weekly basis.

The hotel chef is then challenged to cook a meal using the ingredients, which diners will critique like a MasterChef judge.

Arriving at the dinner on Wednesday, my fellow foodies and I are were intrigued by the seemingly innocent looking loin, carrots, potatos and asparagus, wondering just what celebrity chef and MasterChef SA judge, Benny Masekwameng and Executive Chef, Martin Chetty would create with them.

We needn’t have worried ... not only did our creative cooks whip up a delectable main dish of pan fried loin accompanied by fondant potato, carrot mousse and asparagus spears but they surpassed all expectations with the mouth-wateringly tasty pistachio and chocolate fondant served with honeycomb ice cream and a tuille biscuit for dessert.

- Make a choice: You can either stick to the safe a la carte items or be brave and choose the Mystery Box. Remember, each mystery box contains eight ingredients, some seasonal and some unusual, which will challenge the creativity, skill and versatility of Tsogo Sun’s chefs. They will use the contents of the box to create a special main course dish to be paired with a Nederburg wine.

- Channel your inner Pete or Benny: When you select the mystery box, you also get to be a judge for the evening, and will be given a fun scorecard to judge the dish.

- You have to be in to win it: One lucky diner will win five nights of luxury at the Beverly Hills hotel in Umhlanga, with dinner, bed and breakfast for two, as well as a dinner prepared by Benny Masekwameng so don’t forget to complete the entry form on your score card.

“It’s your chance to become a MasterChef judge for the evening and to put our talented chefs to the test,” says Graham Wood, Managing Director of Tsogo Sun – hotels about the Mystery Box promotion.